


Dim It Down

by Iki_teru



Series: In the litany of your name [8]
Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Fluff, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-06
Updated: 2020-04-06
Packaged: 2021-03-02 04:35:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,014
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23519302
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Iki_teru/pseuds/Iki_teru
Summary: A routine mission to clear out heartless goes awry and Yuffie has too much time to reflect
Series: In the litany of your name [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/302010
Kudos: 6





	Dim It Down

**Author's Note:**

> Surprise! Bet you thought you'd seen the last of this series. 
> 
> This has been sitting on my google drive for a while and I decided to dust it off, give it a quick polish and post it because god I need soft fluffy things and maybe you do too.

_ All revelations come to us in recovery _

_ Cry wolf, cry mercy, cry the name of the one you were raised to believe _

_ Cry heart, cry yourself to sleep, cry a storm of tears if it helps you breathe _

_ It helps you, if it helps you breathe - _ Sleeping At Last, "Homesick" 

  
  
  


This wasn’t supposed to happen. Yuffie shivered in the chill of the evening, wrapping her arms around herself in an attempt to retain warmth. She didn't’ think she’d miss her scarf this much but here she was, debating what the societal rules were about snuggling up to someone who was unconscious and potentially concussed. (She tried not to wonder about medical rules about moving an injured person because that would just make her panic and she couldn’t afford to panic right now, at least not more than she already was panicking.) 

“It’s gonna be fine,” she said to Leon’s prone figure lying behind her without turning to look at him. He was still breathing, she knew that much, and could wait to find out anything else. “If we’re gone long enough, Aer and Cid’ll start wondering what’s up and they’ll come looking. Then if you’re not awake, Aerith can heal you and it’ll all be better.” She kept her tone light and chipper, in case he could hear her, but her heart was a lead ball steadily sinking with every second he didn’t wake up.

They had fought worse than this but today was just an unlucky kind of day. One Darkball bouncing the wrong way, and Leon went careening into a boulder and then he crumpled like a tin can. Yuffie hadn’t even managed to finish clearing the field, just distracted the heartless with exploding tags and smoke bombs as she dragged Leon away, fussing the whole time about how heavy he was and if he wouldn’t wear so many damn belts maybe she could have gotten him farther. 

As it was they were lucky she managed to find this cave — more of a crevice really- barely enough room for one prone body and one ninja folded into a ball around her knees. She was shit at magic; always ended up with a crippling headache at a minimum so that was out of the question. Yuffie had poured what potions they had down Leon’s throat slowly, slowly, she had a crick in her neck from how long she spent hunched over his body. She gave up her scarf to pillow his head, hoping that a little comfort might help. 

Home was too far away, she’d never drag him there. It was too far away to run for help, she couldn’t bear the idea of leaving him like this all alone. So she had to hope that their friends would come for them.

In the meantime, Yuffie did what Yuffie does best: talk aimlessly into the empty air. 

She complained about the cold. She complained about how heavy he was  _ and you’re lucky I managed to drag off your dumb gunblade. It was a near thing, maybe a shiny sacrifice to the heartless would have bought us more time. _ It hadn’t been easy, juggling the unfamiliar weight of Revolver and her own shuriken along with the dead (nononononono) unhelping form of Leon himself. 

She took a break to loudly wonder if he would wake up with amnesia and threaten that if he did, she was going to convince him she was a princess and he was her loyal vassal. Yuffie went on at some lengths about the ridiculous outfits she would put him in,  _ only until you come to your senses, it’s for your own good really _ . 

She complained about Hollow Bastion and how slow repairs were moving.  _ I wish I could be more helpful, _ she admitted softly to her knees.  _ Despite what you probably think, I don’t mean to screw up so much.  _ Complained about the sun and the cobblestone patterns and all the people.  _ How did they survive this long? Were there not heartless where they came from? They’re just... Everywhere. _

The sun sank.

Leon didn’t move. 

Nobody came. 

Yuffie kept talking, voice growing hoarse and throat growing tight with the promise of fear. “I bet you wish Aerith had come with you today instead of me after all. She never would have let this happen to you. She would have been right there with a cure spell and you’d both be home now and we’d all be having dinner where it’s warm and light.” The words wouldn’t stop. She gasped, letting them tumble from her as fast as the tears now being squeezed from her eyes. All the worry and fear overloaded her false bravado. “I’m sorry,” she sobbed. “I’m sorry that I’m useless.” 

“No.” it came out as little more than a groan from behind her and Yuffie’s heart stopped. “You got me out.” 

She turned, just slightly. Leon was still laying with his eyes pinched shut in pain but one of his hands was up over his head, reaching for her. Dazed, she placed her hand in his, felt him squeeze her fingers. 

She crawled farther into the little cave, resuming her original position by his side. “How’re you feeling?” 

Something like a smile bloomed on Leon’s face and Yuffie knew he must be concussed or worse. “Like hell, everything keeps spinning.” 

Yuffie licked her lips, pressing a hand against his chest. “Maybe I could…”

“Yuffie, no.” 

She ignored him. “ _ Heal _ ,” green tendrils raced down her arm, bursting against his chest and sinking into his skin and the world lurched around Yuffie and she felt herself falling backward, her only hope that she had healed Leon enough to get them out of here so maybe then Aerith could heal  _ her  _ concussion. 

  
Strong arms caught her before she hit the ground, pulling her up against a warm chest. Yuffie shivered, pressing herself more firmly against that steady heartbeat. She heard Leon whisper something against her hair that sounded like  _ I’ve got you _ and then she gave up to the fatigue of spell casting and drifted off, safe in this embrace.


End file.
